Manly Marlin and Warringah Rat in the frame for top rugby job
TWO peninsula rugby officials have strong support to take on top job at NSW, how Des Hasler’s magic worked on a young Sea Eagle and top cricketer fails concussion test. Read it all here.
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TWO prominent northern beaches rugby officials and old sparring partners are in the frame to take on arguably the toughest sports administration job in Australia.
Blindside can reveal Warringah Rats president Phil Parsons and former Manly Marlins president David Begg have received strong grassroots support to put their names forward to replace Andrew Hore as NSW Rugby CEO.
There has been a growing feeling of a disconnect between rugby at the club level and the upper echelons of the game and the code in NSW faces a myriad of challenges in 2020.
The pair, who regularly butted heads with their clubs being arch-rivals, have proven track records both in the business world and in rugby and nobody understands the intricacies of the game in NSW better.
WELL-CREDENTIALED
Neither Parsons nor Begg would be drawn into whether they would be interested in the job themselves, but were happy to talk up the other’s credentials.
“I think someone coming out of our current NSW rugby community would be a good thing, not necessarily me,” Parsons said.
“And there are plenty involved in the Shute Shield qualified to take on that role.
“I would be interested in assisting them to fill the role and having a discussion about who they are looking for so I could perhaps provide direction.”
Parsons said Begg, who recently stepped down as Sydney Rugby president, would do a good job in the role.
“I think David Begg has a wealth of commercial and rugby experience in NSW and Australia that he would bring to the table,” Parsons said.
Begg said if you look at every indicator applies to a successful rugby organisation, each of those has significantly improved since Parsons has been Rats’ president.
“Strategically Phil has a very good brain,” Begg said.
“My view is that to capture the unique spirit of the Shute Shield at state and national level is the challenge that rugby faces.”
TOP TEACHER
SEA Eagles winger Reuben Garrick Has paid tribute to the lessons he learnt from Des Hasler and the rest of the Sea Eagles coaching staff after a year which culminated with selection in the Prime Minister’s XIII, the Junior Kangaroos and the Australian squad for the World 9s tournament.
“Not just tactically and strategically and skill wise, but more keeping your head switched on and never taking any moment you get for granted,” Garrick said.
“Des is good at telling me ‘don’t get too far ahead of yourself, just keep playing good honest footy and keep competing every play’.
“I think that’s what I brought to the team this year, I just wanted to compete every play and hopefully I was doing that.”
That attitude through the entire squad typified why the Sea Eagles enjoyed such a successful season.
Hasler congratulated Garrick on his selection in the Prime Minister’s team, telling him “to soak it in and enjoy it “
HEAD KNOCK
RISING Manly cricketer Ollie Davies will miss Saturday’s play against Mosman at Manly Oval after failing a concussion test.
He got hit in the helmet during the first day last Saturday whilst fielding at short leg.
“It was a good whack, he came off immediately and we had a ‘sub’ fieldsman go on,” said Manly head coach Phil Marks.
“He felt OK on Saturday night and into Sunday and then on Monday he had the (HIA) test and failed it.
“The helmets give a pretty good level of protection but you have to err on the side of caution.”
While the concussion protocols have been in place international and domestic cricket for some time, they were introduced to the Premier competition this season.
The good news for Manly is that the classy veteran Cameron Merchant is set to come into the side as his replacement after missing last Saturday due to work commitments.
“We are fortunate that we can bring someone in like that,” Marks said.
A REAL DAMPENER
And Manly face a big task today when they resume at 2-6 after Mosman were dismissed for 213 on the first day’s play.
“The challenge is going to be whether we can get enough play in, there is a lot of rain forecast,” Marks said.
“But hopefully we’ll only need three hours of the six scheduled and that is probably going to be enough either way for us to get the runs or for them to bowl us out.”
Marks said if the side bats positively there is no reason they can’t chase Mosman’s total down.
“We have a very good batting attack, while we have lost two openers Jack Edwards, Steve O’Keefe, Jay Lenton, Cameron Merchant and Joel Foster are still to bat,” he said.